By Adedapo Adesanya

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced a 12-hour restriction on movement across Abuja and its environs ahead of the council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, Mrs Josephine Adeh, said the movement will be restricted to ensure security and the smooth conduct of the polls.

“The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Miller G. Dantawaye, psc., has announced a restriction of movement across the Federal Capital Territory from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday, 21st February, 2026, in view of the scheduled Area Council Elections,” the statement read.

The police clarified that the restriction will apply to all residents, except essential service providers and duly accredited election officials.

The command also called on residents to remain peaceful and cooperate with security agencies.

“The FCT Police Command urges residents to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and cooperate with security agencies to ensure a safe, free, and credible electoral process,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, declared Friday a work-free day ahead of the council elections.

In a broadcast, Mr Wike said the decision, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is to enable residents to travel to their communities to vote.

In contrast to the police announcement, the minister declared a separate restriction of movement across the FCT from 8:00 p.m. on Friday to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, directing security agencies to ensure compliance.

Mr Wike urged residents to turn out in large numbers and conduct themselves peacefully, expressing optimism that the polls would produce leaders who would promote development and stability in the territory.

In the meantime, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says preparations for the elections are at an advanced stage, with strong voter participation recorded during the PVC collection exercise.

INEC disclosed that 1,587,025 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the FCT, representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate out of the 1,680,315 registered voters.

Security agencies have assured residents of adequate deployment across the territory to maintain order, as authorities emphasise the need for a peaceful, free, and credible electoral process.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) says the four-year N300 billion debt dispute with Nigerian banks over Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services has been resolved.

Chairman of ALTON, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed this on Thursday during an official visit to the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Idris Olorunnimbe.

He lauded the intervention of the NCC, led by its Vice Chairman, Mr Aminu Maida, in bringing the long-standing dispute to a close.

“When Dr Maida assumed office, he inherited significant industry challenges,” Mr Adebayo said. “One of the most difficult was the USSD debt crisis, a debt burden that grew over four years to nearly N300 billion. It had become a systemic risk to our sector and the digital financial ecosystem.”

He praised the NCC helmsman for his leadership, structured engagement, and decisive coordination to see a resolution to the dispute.

“There is no outstanding USSD debt. The ecosystem has fully migrated to end-user billing. What was once a looming crisis has been converted into a sustainable framework,” he said, describing the resolution of the debt crisis as a milestone for the telecom and digital finance ecosystem, ensuring sustainability and predictability for operators and service providers.

Nigeria’s telco and banking sectors switched to an End-User Billing (EUB) model for USSD services in August 2025. Under the new system, customers are now charged directly from their mobile airtime instead of their bank accounts, with telcos deducting the fees.

The change ended a long-running dispute between telcos such as MTN and Airtel and commercial banks over unpaid USSD charges. By 2024, banks’ outstanding debts to operators had risen to between N250 billion and N300 billion.

The NCC, working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), introduced the EUB framework to standardise billing, improve transparency, and strengthen financial inclusion, especially for unbanked Nigerians who depend heavily on USSD services.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Governor of Abia State, Mr Alex Otti, has been urged not to be carried away by the media attention he is enjoying or be tempted to exaggerate his achievements.

This advice was given by a public affairs analyst and legal practitioner, Mr Ope Banwo, who pointed out that a government that is truly focused on reform and service delivery should allow facts and independent assessments to define its legacy.

He argued that exaggeration, even when intended to inspire confidence, often weakens public trust and exposes the administration to unnecessary scrutiny, stressing that genuine performance speaks for itself without the need for propaganda.

The serial entrepreneur disclosed that while visible progress has been recorded by the Governor in some areas, governance must be anchored on verifiable data, transparency and measurable outcomes rather than inflated narratives.

‎‎“A serious government does not need to exaggerate results. When projects are real, impactful and properly executed, citizens will feel the difference without being told,” Mr Banwo said, acknowledging that the administration of Mr Otti inherited significant structural and financial challenges.

However, he warned that over-celebration of modest gains could blur the line between genuine reform and political messaging, urging him to prioritise sustainability, institutional reforms and long-term economic planning over headline-grabbing claims.

In his view, the true test of the current administration would lie in its ability to strengthen public institutions, attract credible investment and improve the daily lives of ordinary Abians.

‎The public commentator also advised the government to embrace constructive criticism rather than dismissing dissenting voices, noting that feedback is essential for democratic accountability. He maintained that open engagement with critics would ultimately strengthen the administration’s credibility.

‎‎Responding to supporters of the government who argue that positive messaging is necessary to counter years of decline, Mr Banwo said optimism should be grounded in reality, adding that, “There is nothing wrong with communicating achievements, but communication must not cross into exaggeration. Nigerians are smarter than that.”

The US-based lawyer urged Mr Otti’s administration to focus on consolidating its reforms, allowing independent institutions, civil society and the media to objectively assess its performance over time.

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